Best Solar Panel Installation Companies in Orlando

Solar panels stacked on rooftops have become as common a sight in Orlando as cartoon mice. The Central Florida city has set a goal of 100% clean and renewable energy sources by 2050. To that effect, the state has many clean energy initiatives, including private companies showing increasing interest in the switch to solar. Going solar is an appealing choice in the aptly named Sunshine State: Florida ranks fourth overall for solar energy potential, while the average electricity cost was $163.74 in September 2024.

You can of course benefit from the federal tax credit bolstered by the Inflation Reduction Act provides, which a 30% rebate on solar panel systems for any US resident. On top of that, Florida also has some state-level incentives that should cut down the overall cost of switching to solar in Florida. You also property and sales taxes on solar panels in the Sunshine State, and a net metering policy will let you send your excess energy to the grid to get credits on your bill.

If you do explore the possibility of solar energy, there are solar costs and incentives to consider before making the decision. But before breaking those down, here is a list of the best solar installers operating within Orlando.

Best national solar panel companies in Orlando

Palmetto Solar

Best overall

Solar panels are typically low maintenance equipment, but they’re also unfamiliar. If you want to reap the benefits of solar but will have a bit more peace of mind if someone else is making sure it’s working, Palmetto might be a good fit for you. Just remember to add the cost of Palmetto’s monitoring service in to your payback period calculations.

SunPower Solar

Best solar panels

If you’re looking for top-of-the-line solar panels, SunPower is your best choice. But don’t write it off if you’re looking for a less flashy installation that will get the job done. This year it started installing Qcells panels, which should make an installation from the longest-tenured company on our list available to more people.

Elevation

Whole home approach

Elevation’s focus on your home’s energy efficiency isn’t the norm in the industry. If you’re planning on addressing energy efficiency first, working with Elevation allows you to keep the whole process with one company. Elevation’s solar equipment comes from well-established and well-regarded companies. Elevation’s warranties on workmanship and weatherization could be a bit longer.

Freedom Forever

Best for cash customers

Include Freedom Forever in your search if you want the backing of a national company that installs a wide variety of the most popular solar equipment available. Freedom Forever also extends a couple of products that take some of the pain and risk out of going solar, like a production guarantee and an escrow option with cash purchases. Online reviews say customer satisfaction has been low of late, though the company says that’s changing.

Tesla Solar

Most affordable

Tesla’s solar branch seems to be the least loved of Elon Musk’s ventures. Even Tesla’s Solar Roof seems to get more love.

If price is the thing you won’t budge on, consider Tesla. By all accounts, Tesla installs quality panels and makes the closest thing there is to a household name in solar storage: the Powerwall.

Where you might miss out is customer service. Discussion online seems to suggest Tesla’s service is a bit of a gamble.

Momentum Solar

All in-house installers

Momentum installs in 11 states without using subcontractors. While using in-house installers doesn’t guarantee a better experience, it does suggest you’re likely to get a more uniform experience from Momentum. The fact that Momentum backs its installations with a 25-year workmanship warranty hints at a strong belief in its crews’ ability. If Momentum is part of your search, consider the warranties against leaks that other companies offer. Momentum’s is five years, which isn’t the best.

Local solar panel companies in Orlando

How to determine which solar company is best for me

“Orlando is one of the most concentrated areas for solar in general,” said Raina Greenfest, a civil engineer and Florida Solar Energy Industries Association board member who runs a solar consultancy called Raina or Shine. Greenfest encourages thorough vetting of potential contractors and asking many questions before you move forward with installation.

There are many ways to make sure you’re working with a reputable solar installer. Companies that are certified by NABCEP are licensed professionals. It’s also a good idea to check the Better Business Bureau and get reviews from Google and Yelp to see what people are saying about a given installer. You could even check with your neighbors who’ve installed solar panel systems to see what their opinions are.

“They should compare apples to apples and who is actually performing the work,” Greenfest said. “If a homeowner has a question they are going to want to have the ability to talk to somebody and get answers. It is really important they are working with a reputable contractor.”

Additionally, it’s important not to rush the process when looking for a solar installer. This is an expensive purchase, and it’s always important to make sure you have all the important information before rushing into such a big financial decision. Make sure to get bids from at least a handful of installation companies to weigh your options before deciding to move forward with one of them.

Cost of solar panels in Orlando

One of the major deciding factors in choosing to go solar is the cost. Throughout the state of Florida, solar costs have come down 43% over the past 10 years, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. 

“The market is saturated with product at the moment, which wasn’t the case awhile back,” Greenfest said. “You have installers ready to go and interest rates are dropping so that combination makes it a very viable option.”

Other cost factors include the type of panel selected for the installation and the type of roof you have. Anyone with a roof 20 years or older may want to consider replacing the roof first before going solar, according to Greenfest.

Here’s a look at the average cash price for a typical solar panel system in Florida, before factoring in tax credits and incentives, according to data from FindEnergy.com. Remember, if you’re going to add solar batteries or other additional equipment to your purchase, your system may be significantly more expensive.

Our interactive map below displays the average total cash price, cost per watt and typical system size for a solar panel system in your state, according to data from FindEnergy.com. Prices shown don’t account for rebates from tax credits or state incentives. Certain states don’t have any FindEnergy solar data and are grayed out on the map.

Orlando solar panels incentives and rebates

The biggest financial incentive for going solar in Orlando is the federal solar tax credit, known as the residential clean energy credit, which will pay you back for up to 30% of the installation costs.

The state of Florida doesn’t offer tax credits or rebates for installation, but there are net metering programs and both property tax and solar sales tax exemptions.

How to pay for solar panels in Orlando

While power purchase agreements are not available in Florida, you do have several options to pay for solar panel installation.

Cash: While the initial installation costs can be prohibitive, if you have the funds available to do a straightforward purchase, which eliminates interest and fees associated with a potential loan and the cost savings will start right away.

Solar loan: Generally offered by the installer, there are solar-specific loans available if you want to finance the installation over time.

Home equity loan: Home equity loans or HELOCs are another option for you and because they are tied into collateral (your home), you might be able to get a good interest rate. But they can come with a lengthy appraisal process, and if you fail to repay the loan, you could lose your home.

Personal loan: A personal loan through a financial institution is another route, but they tend to come with higher interest rates. 

Solar lease: If you have a solar lease, you make a monthly payment to a solar panel company to have the panels on your home, but you do not own them. In this case, you aren’t eligible for the federal tax credits and you don’t actually own the system.

Other installation factors to keep in mind

In addition to the different financing methods that you need to keep in mind, there are a number of factors that might affect your installation as well:

Renting vs. owning your home: If you’re renting a house and hope to purchase a home relatively soon, the costs of installing solar panels may not be worth the investment. Also, the choice to get solar panels would ultimately be up to the homeowner — your landlord.

Cost vs. time: While solar panels will save you money in the long term, they’re very costly to install. If you aren’t planning to stay in your current home until the solar panels are profitable, it’s probably not worth it to go through with the installation.

Roof condition and angle: Not every roof can handle the solar panel system required to power important household appliances. Old roofs will likely need to be replaced, adding to the total costs of a solar panel installation. Additionally, the angle of your roof is extremely important — the sun needs to be hitting your panels during peak sunlight hours. To make sure that the sunlight is hitting your solar panel system, check if your roof is constructed at an angle conducive to solar power generation.

Insurance coverage: Solar panels can be damaged by extreme weather or other outside forces. You should review your homeowner’s insurance policy to determine if the panels would be covered and contact your insurance company to notify them.

Homeowners association regulations: While Florida has laws limiting how homeowners associations can restrict solar panels, you should check your HOA’s regulations to see what their rules are.

How we found the best solar panel companies

Orlando solar panel FAQs